October 17, 2003, 11:51 a.m.
Holy Seeing
The pope says his 25th-anniversary Mass.

VATICAN CITY — When the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Jim Nicholson, spoke briefly to the American delegates on the morning we arrived in Rome, he talked a bit about the relationship between the U.S. and the Vatican. He recounted how — despite any well-publicized policy differences between Vatican officials and the U.S. — Pope John Paul II has concluded conversations with American officials in recent months: "God bless America," the frail pope would struggle to say.

Thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square, warmed by the late-afternoon sun, for the Mass celebrating the pontiff's 25th anniversary as pope. Our carabinieri escort parted the traffic jams surrounding St. Peter's to bring us to the diplomatic entrance behind the basilica. We joined diplomats in white ties and tails with their colorful sashes and medals, young priests in their surpluses and cassocks, and older clergy trimmed in shades of pink and red streaming into St. Peter's from its rear entrance.

We had the rare experience of walking through a relatively empty St. Peter's Basilica to get to the area outside where an altar had been set up under a large canopy. The enormous consequences of Cardinal Wojtyla's elevation 25 years ago was dramatically illustrated by the very first person I saw sitting with the delegations at the foot of the stairs of the basilica, to the side of the altar: Lech Walesa was in the first row.

We took our seats a few feet away. A procession of the College of Cardinals signaled Mass was about to begin. I knew I was watching a future pope take his seat.

A huge cheer welcomed Pope John Paul II when he appeared in the doorway of St. Peter's. He is unable to sit erectly in the chair he is now confined to, but his voice was strong when he celebrated the Mass and delivered the homily. People seemed to appreciate that Pope John Paul II has spent the past 25 years telling us how to live and is now showing us how to die. He soldiers on with all of his remaining strength to fulfill his obligation to care for his flock. The pope's responsibility was the theme of his sermon; remembering his election day, the pope told the crowd of 50,000: "How could I not tremble, humanly speaking? How could such a big responsibility not weigh on me? It was necessary to rely on divine mercy so that when asked, 'Do you accept?', I could answer...:'I accept'."

The Mass was being celebrated at the same hour he was elected pope in 1978. At the beginning of the Mass, Cardinal Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals, recalled the election of John Paul II and offered a tribute to him: "In his life, the word 'cross' is not just a word. He has allowed himself to be wounded by it in his soul and body," the cardinal said. At the conclusion of the two-hour Mass, the pope remained in front of the altar to the delight of the crowd. Chants of "Viva la papa" came from the audience, which was dotted with waving Polish and Vatican flags; the pontiff drank in their love, an apparent sustenance for him, which was undoubtedly the intention.

— Kate O'Beirne, National Review's Washington editor, is a member of the U.S. presidential delegation in Rome for Pope John Paul II's 25th anniversary and the beatification of Mother Teresa. She will be filing occasional dispatches from there.

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